Thalassaemia & Life Insurance

Being diagnosed with thalassaemia can bring up a mix of emotions and also the want to make plans for the future. This can often include planning your finances and life insurance is an area that you may be unsure about.

Our team of experienced advisers are here to help you throughout the process of getting your life insurance in place. From researching the market to completing your application and getting your policy up and running. 

What we need to know:

• When were you diagnosed with thalassaemia?
• What treatment or medication do you use?
• Do you require blood transfusions or chelation treatment?
• Have you had any stem cell or bone marrow transplants?

Life insurance for people living with thalassaemia may be accepted at normal terms with some insurers. You are most likely to get normal terms if your condition is mild and you do not regularly experience anaemia.

The insurance provider will want to see a report from your GP to get a clear picture as to how the condition affects you, the severity of the symptoms that you experience and the medications/treatments that you use. This can only be done with your expressed permission.

If your symptoms and treatment for thalassaemia are considered to be moderate to severe, then life insurance may be available to you at special terms. This usually mean a price increase.

Depending upon the strength of some symptoms and the types of treatment that you have, you may find that some insurers postpone your application. This means that the insurer is asking for you wait a bit of time, so that they can see how you are reacting to the treatment, before they offer terms for life insurance.

Our advisers are there to help you find the right insurer for you.

Critical illness cover pays out a cash lump sum of money, if you are diagnosed with a medical condition that is listed in the insurer’s claims set e.g. cancer, heart attack, stroke.

Critical illness cover for people with thalassaemia is currently only available to those with thalassaemia minor (thalassaemia trait), on the personal insurance market.

If you have thalassaemia minor you may be able to secure critical illness cover at standard terms with some insurers.

For people that are living with thalassaemia there are some specialist options that you can arrange, potentially through your employer, that could offer you a good quality contract. There are strict eligibility criteria for this and our advisers can tell you if you are able to access them.

Income protection pays you a replacement of your monthly income, if you are unable to work due to ill health.

Income protection for people with thalassaemia is currently only available to those with thalassaemia minor (thalassaemia trait), for personal policies. There can be a lot more options available if we can potentially look at options for you, through your employer.

If you have thalassaemia minor you may be able to secure income protection at normal terms with some insurance providers.

GET AN INCOME PROTECTION QUOTE

Whilst income protection is not available to you it is worthwhile considering accident, sickness and unemployment Cover. This policy will provide short-term income protection of between 12 and 24 months and does not require medical underwriting to arrange.

An accident, sickness and unemployment policy will pay a benefit claim if you are unable to work due to disability, long-term illness or involuntary redundancy. Whilst your condition will have no impact upon the acceptance terms of the policy, any claim that you place will exclude the inability to work due to pre-existing medical conditions including the thalassaemia.

GET AN ACCIDENT, SICKNESS AND UNEMPLOYMENT QUOTE

Are you planning on traveling abroad? Visit our dedicated travel page here, to make sure that you get the cover that you need.